This invention relates to diesel-powered engine-load sets, such as engine-generator sets, and more particularly to those with single cylinder engines.
Engine-generator sets combust fuel to generate electricity. Some such sets have gasoline engines. Others run on diesel, and some others run on propane or compressed natural gas. The principal use of such sets is to generate electrical power far from any power grid, such as on a vehicle. Long-haul trucks may have such a system to provide electric power to run HVAC systems while the propulsion engine is shut down, such as to maintain the temperature in a sleeping cabin or to chill a load, thereby lowering fuel consumption and reducing idle emissions. A boat may have such a system to power an air conditioner when underway or otherwise not on shore power. They are commonly employed on boats without propulsion engines, such as sailboats.
Improvements are continually sought to make engine-load sets, such as engine-generator sets, that generate higher amounts of power for a given size, with increased efficiency, reduced emissions and with as little noise as possible.
One aspect of the invention features an engine-generator set with a diesel engine having a rotatable crankshaft, and an electrical generator with a rotor secured to the crankshaft for rotation, with the rotor cantilevered on an end of the crankshaft. The engine is a single-cylinder engine and has an electrically activatable fuel injector connected to a continuously pressurized fuel supply.
In some cases the engine is a marine engine, preferably designed or modified to meet regulations concerning diesel engines to be operated aboard watercraft.
In some embodiments, the engine defines a cooling passage in hydraulic communication with both a raw water inlet and a raw water outlet into an exhaust system of the engine. The engine may have an exhaust system arranged to receive a flow of exhaust from the single cylinder and to pass the received exhaust through a catalyst, with the cooling passage also in hydraulic communication with a cooling jacket extending at least partially about the catalyst.
In some examples the engine is air-cooled.
In some applications, the engine-generator set is mounted on a vehicle and configured to produce electrical power for powering a cooling system of the vehicle. The engine is preferably mounted with its crankshaft extending horizontally.
In some embodiments, the generator is a variable-speed generator.
In some instances, the generator is a permanent magnet generator.
Some examples also include a sound-attenuating enclosure surrounding the engine and the generator. The engine is preferably mounted to the sound-attenuating enclosure by a vibration isolator.
In some embodiments, the engine has an exhaust system arranged to receive a flow of exhaust from the single cylinder and to pass the received exhaust through a catalyst. The system may also include an oxygen sensor arranged to be exposed to the flow of exhaust and configured to be responsive to oxygen content in the flow.
Another aspect of the invention features an engine-generator set with a diesel engine having a rotatable crankshaft, and an electrical generator with a rotor secured to the crankshaft for rotation, with the rotor cantilevered on an end of the crankshaft. The engine has an electrically activatable fuel injector connected to a continuously pressurized fuel supply, and the engine defines a cooling passage in hydraulic communication with both a raw water inlet and a raw water outlet into an exhaust system of the engine.
In some embodiments, the exhaust system is arranged to receive a flow of exhaust from the single cylinder and to pass the received exhaust through a catalyst, and wherein the cooling passage is also in hydraulic communication with a cooling jacket extending at least partially about the catalyst. The system may also include an oxygen sensor arranged to be exposed to the flow of exhaust and configured to be responsive to oxygen content in the flow.
In some examples the engine is air-cooled.
In some applications, the engine-generator set is mounted on a boat and configured to produce electrical power for powering a cooling system of the boat. Preferably, the engine is mounted with its crankshaft extending horizontally.
In some cases, the generator is a variable-speed generator.
In some instances, the generator is a permanent magnet generator.
The engine-generator set may also include a sound-attenuating enclosure surrounding the engine and the generator. The engine is preferably mounted to the sound-attenuating enclosure by a vibration isolator.
The invention described herein can be employed to provide a diesel generator producing a reasonable amount of power (e.g., 5 kilowatts) in a compact volume, with minimal airborne noise and while meeting today's strict emissions standards, both in the United States (as promulgated by the EPA) and in Europe and other parts of the world.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
Referring first to
Referring to
The engine-generator set is mounted within the enclosure on vibration isolators, and the enclosure itself may be mounted on isolators, to minimize vibration coupling to the boat or vehicle.
The engine 14 is preferably a one-cylinder diesel engine, such as a Model 178/186 available from various sources including Chang Chai, or a Model L70/L100 engine from Yanmar. It includes at least one solenoid-actuated fuel injector, electronically controlled by an engine controller (not shown) to inject timed bursts of fuel into the single cylinder, preferably multiple bursts per cycle from a fuel line held at a pressure of 10 to 20 ksi (70 to 140 MPa). The injector is controlled such that the timing and amount of fuel are optimal for minimizing emissions under sensed power output and speed conditions. The engine-generator set should be able to produce 5 kW of continuous AC power at 50 or 60 Hz and 120 or 240 volts, meeting U.S. EPA and European emissions standards for marine and vehicle use. The engine may be configured for air cooling or liquid (e.g., water) cooling. If air-cooled, the enclosure will provide for a cooling air inlet and outlet. If the engine is cooled by a closed loop liquid circuit, the enclosure will provide for a coolant inlet and outlet connected to an external radiator. If the engine is marinized and cooled by raw water, the enclosure will provide for a seawater inlet.
The engine is started by an electric starting motor. In some cases the generator is also configured to serve as the starting motor. Alternatively, a separate starting motor 18 may be mounted to drive the crankshaft of the engine, such as through a flywheel. In this example, the generator 16 is mounted at an end of the crankshaft opposite the flywheel, which is enclosed in a shroud 20. The generator rotor 22 is rigidly coupled to the crankshaft and cantilevered, such that there is no bearing supporting the rotor other than through the crankshaft.
Alternatively, the generator can be mounted on what would be the flywheel end of the crankshaft, as shown in
Referring next to
Alternatively, the generator may be a synchronous PMG operating at a constant speed and providing output power at the desired frequency.
Referring next to
Referring to
While a number of examples have been described for illustration purposes, the foregoing description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. There are and will be other examples and modifications within the scope of the following claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/748,574, entitled “Small Diesel Engine-Generator Set,” filed Jan. 21, 2020, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/795,131, entitled “SMALL DIESEL ENGINE-LOAD SET,” filed Jan. 22, 2019, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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62795131 | Jan 2019 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16748574 | Jan 2020 | US |
Child | 17700857 | US |